Powering up: Local utility lineman tests skills against world's best

Shelby's Neal Walker is a Duke Energy utility lineman and for several years he’s competed against his peers in the International Lineman’s Rodeo.

Matthew Tessnear

With metal hooks on his legs, a tool belt and safety strap around his waist and a bucket dangling from his mouth, Neal Walker quickly climbs a 40-foot pole. The bucket carries an egg, and when 48-year-old Walker reaches the top of the pole, he discards the bucket, places the egg in his mouth and descends to the ground.

“The fastest I’ve heard is about 17 seconds,” he said. “Average for us is in the 30 to 45-second range. That’s because of age and we’re not as nimble as we used to be.”

Walker is a Duke Energy utility lineman and for several years he’s competed against his peers in the International Lineman’s Rodeo. The event tests utility lineman in a variety of job-related skills. This month, Walker’s team won third place out of dozens of teams in the senior journeyman division of professionals 45 years and older. Walker said the competition ultimately helps utility linemen hone their skills to better serve customers.

“Keeping our climbing skills up, keeping our teamwork skills up, those are the biggest benefits for us,” he said. “We spend a lot of time talking about how the safest and most efficient ways are to get our jobs done. It helps us with our day-to-day work, trying to be efficient and productive.”

Working outages and restoring power: Walker’s worked for Duke Energy in Cleveland and Gaston counties for a quarter century.

“My dad knew some folks who worked with Duke,” he said. “I started when I was 23 years old. A job climbing came up, I later transferred to Shelby and have been there for the majority of my career. I like being outdoors.”

Now, Walker works in a crew and completes customer service assignments, including work on new homes and maintenance work.

‘Just like we’d want to do on the job’: Walker’s teams have finished in the top five several times.

“The pole climb is one of the events we compete in,” he said. “Another one is hurt man rescue that simulates if one of the workers was to get hurt on the job, they’d rescue a mannequin on the pole.”

Each competition includes four events – two that teams know before arriving and two mystery events – and winners are determined by points and time.

“We found out we were 27 seconds out of first place this year,” Walker said. “That’s close.

“I thought of 100 different ways we could have made that 27 seconds up. You don’t know that during the competition. You’re focused on trying to make 100 points and let time fall where it does. We’re scored for doing it safe and doing it right, just like we’d want to do on the job.”

Reach Matthew Tessnear at 704-669-3331, at mtessnear@shelbystar.com and on Twitter @MatthewTessnear.

What is the International Lineman's Rodeo?: The Lineman’s Rodeo attracts the best utility linemen from around the world to compete in events based on traditional lineman tasks and skills. The first Lineman’s Rodeo was held in September 1984, with 12 participating teams from Kansas and Missouri. The rodeo has grown to more than 200 teams and 250 apprentices.

How many utility linemen?: Duke Energy employs more than 5,000 line workers that serve 7 million customers.